what are freds???

Nedkelly24

Newish to cycling,, have heard the word FRED doing the rounds can someone explain?? Is it someone on a halfords bike with lid gear?? Or a guy on a two grand bike that can't ride for shi#.. Cheers in advance ..

Diarmuid

Could be both. But one this is for sure, if you have to ask, you're one

Nedkelly24

Diarmuid wrote: »

Could be both. But one this is for sure, if you have to ask, you're one

Cheers...cheap bike but not short on ability ..

happytramp

I find the 'all the gear' brand of fred to be the worst. Out for a ride with two friends last week and saw a fella on a Cervelo and one of those skateboard/city helmets. Not sure why but I found it quite amusing.

Holyboy

happytramp wrote: »

I find the 'all the gear' brand of fred to be the worst. Out for a ride with two friends last week and saw a fella on a Cervelo and one of those skateboard/city helmets. Not sure why but I found it quite amusing.

I'm pretty sure I know who that is.....

Wishbone Ash

Nedkelly24 wrote: »

Cheers...cheap bike but not short on ability ..

A 'cheap' bike doesn't make you a 'Fred'.

Fred is a derisive term used by "serious" road cyclists to describe other cyclists who do not conform to serious road cyclists' norms with regard to dress and equipment, and appear amateurish to them. The term is generally reserved for men, while the female Fred is sometimes called a Wilma or Doris.
The exact qualities that define one as a "Fred" vary widely among regions and cyclists. The earliest two definitions used for the term are contradictory.
In the UK, an early usage of the word is the more common—used by 'serious' roadies (cyclists who ride racing bicycles, and may themselves participate in competitive events) to refer to (stereotypically) bearded, sandal-wearing, cyclists without any high-tech gear.[citation needed] These Freds are not generally total novice cyclists, and often ride fairly frequently. This usage still survives in the US. David Bernstein, presenter of The FredCast says the term is "used by 'serious' roadies to disparage utility cyclists and touring riders, especially after these totally unfashionable 'freds' drop the 'serious' roadies on hills because the 'serious' guys were really posers."
More recently, particularly in the US, a Fred is more often somebody with higher quality and more expensive cycling equipment than his or her talent and commitment would warrant. For example, a stereotypical Fred by this definition would be an individual with little cycling experience who watches the highlights of a few Tour de France stages, then goes to a bike store and purchases a Trek carbon fiber Madone in Team Discovery colors, along with Team Discovery shorts and jersey. Thus outfitted with equipment virtually identical to that which Lance Armstrong used, far more expensive than that used by many high-standard racing cyclists, and more costly than many automobiles, the "Fred" then uses his bicycle merely to ride on a cycling path at 15 mph (24 km/h), something which even the most casual untrained cyclist can manage on an inexpensive hybrid bicycle. Some use "Fred" in a somewhat similar matter, but more synonymous with a roadie poseur. However, a Fred isn't necessarily someone who intentionally tries to put forth an image of being better or more knowledgeable than they are. Rather, a Fred is an inexperienced or unskilled cyclist who gets some top high-end or copy-cat racing gear for any reason. Unlike most poseurs, a Fred may still ride lacking some fundamental piece of competitive roadie equipment or style.
A third use of the term exists. In this usage, a "Fred" is a cyclist who has a ton of cycling gear, especially of the utilitarian "uncool" kind, like mirrors, powerful lights, fenders, bells/horns, heavy leather seats, racks, reflective gear, bags, baskets, etc. The gear and bike may be put together by kludgey homemade solutions, like duct-taped flashlights to the handlebar.[1] This type of Fred is a bike geek who likes/needs lots of gear (even if it is modified stuff not intended for bikes). Sacrificing some, or ignoring completely, concerns of speed or traditional roadie/sport cyclist style, these type of Freds are more concerned with practical concerns like comfort, safety, versatility, maintenance, being able to quickly transition to time and culture on/off the bicycle, etc. These cyclists may be well aware of their fredness, once they are aware of the concept, and often embrace it wholeheartedly.

dedocdude

Its definitely not the bike that makes a fred. Its not so much the kit either. its another, intangible quality that earns this title for a rider. e.g. bring a pump and tube in a race, unless its a league race or local event you rode to thats completely for training purposes for a bigger goal . If you are now saying "No hes wrong, I carry a pump racing all the time" - my friend, you are a fred.

Some examples:

1. Last year i witnessed a former international rider with major palmeres do a bit of training and come back to win and place in both small and prestigious domestic events, all on a mid-90's steel frame with an ancient groupset and training wheels = not a fred

2. I witnessed an unspecified club rider line up for the national elite champs a few years ago only feet from the wheels of Nico Roche, Dan Martin, Philip Deignan etc - in his pocket he had a whole fuit cake (something like this) in its packaging dangling off his back probably weighing a kilo = fred

Of course there is also the notion that if you are asking on boards what a fred is, its already too late for you

J Madone

happytramp wrote: »

I find the 'all the gear' brand of fred to be the worst. Out for a ride with two friends last week and saw a fella on a Cervelo and one of those skateboard/city helmets. Not sure why but I found it quite amusing.

I like Fred water

Beasty

Hairy legs help...

Anyway, you'll be pleased to know your mod team does have Fred representation;)

dvntie

Or you could be these guys who have embraced it totally
http://fwcycles.co.uk/index.php?no_mobile_theme
One day ill bother to get one of those jerseys :-)

jimbo28

Halfords Bike........full pro team kit..............Me:P............and could'nt give a fiddlers fcuk!

Surveyor11

Fred and proud!

dvntie

jimbo28 wrote: »

Halfords Bike........full pro team kit..............Me:P............and could'nt give a fiddlers fcuk!

+1

brayblue24

+2

Don't worry about it OP.

Welcome to cycling and it's inherent snobbery.

Wear what you feel comfortable in

DirkVoodoo

Posting on boards is normally considered enough...

Harrybelafonte

happytramp wrote: »

I find the 'all the gear' brand of fred to be the worst. Out for a ride with two friends last week and saw a fella on a Cervelo and one of those skateboard/city helmets. Not sure why but I found it quite amusing.

Have seen him around Sundrive Road too. His head must melt under that helmet.

12 sprocket

I have heard the term is used by cyclists who THINK they are better than they are and lack respect for other cyclists to explain when they are dropped.. " I was with a load of freds"........ probably makes them feel better about themselves and it never seems to register that if the group are all Freds as they suggest, it must make them freds.

Harrybelafonte

There's a definition on Wikipedia btw:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_%28bicycling%29

531

'Fred' can have both positive and negative connotations.

A negative one is a guy I saw on a sportife 2 or 3 years ago who was well off the back (like me, nothing wrong with that!) on a 4k frame, top wheels and groupset, latest fasionable team kit but with an unlubricated, rusty, noisy chain. It was driving me mad with the noise of it.

The guys mentioned earlier on old bikes, who care not about fashions, trends etc, in old kit who blow us away are Freds in the the positive sense. They turn the rest of us into negative Freds.

531

2. I witnessed an unspecified club rider line up for the national elite champs a few years ago only feet from the wheels of Nico Roche, Dan Martin, Philip Deignan etc - in his pocket he had a whole fuit cake (something like this) in its packaging dangling off his back probably weighing a kilo = fred

But how did he do in the race? If he did well doesn't he show the others up? If he did badly.....at least he was in the race. Must have looked funny though.

Nedkelly24

Ahhhh glad we cleared that up...
Is mise Fred mor ......go raibh maith agat..

CramCycle

Beasty wrote: »

Hairy legs help...

Anyway, you'll be pleased to know your mod team does have Fred representation;)

I always wondered why i was asked, positive discrimination at it's finest.

emtroche

When i was starting out a clubmate who i hadnt met before asked me was i a fred. Didn't know what he was talking about.

The next year i was riding the Ras.

Doesn't mean a damn thing!

moch

Just cycle your bike, your better off not even talking to a lad that thinks there is such a thing as a Fred;)

maddness

Is it the kind of bloke who likes to tell anyone who will listen about how great/expensive/light his new bike/wheels/group set is, and at the same time his belly is doing its best to escape from the too small lycra?

Dermot Illogical

It's the bunch of new bike/hiviz numpties taking up the entire cycle track in Clontarf as they head out on an epic journey to Howth.
Fredness personified.